Democrats wanted a tax credit for low income families. Republicans wanted a tax break for 3 martini lunches.
December 21, 2020
To secure a compromise on a COVID-19 relief bill, both parties in Congress had to trade some proverbial horses, even if one side viewed the other s as unconscionable.
That s the word Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) used to describe the GOP s White House-backed tax break for corporate meal expenses, per
The Washington Post. Proponents of the tax break, including President Trump, argue it will help boost activity for restaurants, but critics have derisively labeled it the three-martini lunch deduction, claiming it will really benefit business executives rather than the dining industry. But despite staunch Democratic opposition, it worked its way into the draft relief bill that Congress is hoping to pass soon.
Putin publicly praises Russian intelligence agency implicated in massive U.S. government hack
December 21, 2020
Russia officially denies responsibility for the massive, ongoing cyber hack of U.S. government and business networks, despite growing evidence its SVR foreign intelligence service carried out the sophisticated breach. On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin left his COVID-19 bubble to speak at the 100th anniversary of the SVR s founding, and amid his general praise for Russian security services and the SVR specifically, he slipped in some laudatory words for counterintelligence operations, according to a translation shared by the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin visited Foreign Intelligence Service headquarters and congratulated security agency personnel on their professional holiday https://t.co/TJ4dkOducYpic.twitter.com/9dIXkiUdz1
Biden to get COVID-19 vaccine shot on TV
President-elect Joe Biden will get inoculated with Pfizer s COVID-19 vaccine on live television Monday, after he and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris receive the President s Daily Brief. I don t want to get ahead of the line, but I want to make sure we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take, Biden said. Vice President Mike Pence got vaccinated on TV Friday, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and other members of Congress were vaccinated later Friday and over the weekend. Harris and her husband are expected to get the vaccine next week. President Trump has not scheduled a vaccination or committed to getting inoculated.
The Mandalorian creator confirms Boba Fett spinoff show
Star Wars fans had plenty of questions after
The Mandalorian s stunning season 2 finale, and its creator has just provided a key answer.
Jon Favreau, creator of
The Mandalorian, during a Monday appearance on
Good Morning America cleared up confusion surrounding a post-credits scene in Friday s finale and confirmed that Boba Fett will be getting his own spinoff show titled
The Book of Boba Fett. This is the third spinoff of
The Mandalorian to be announced so far after
Ahsoka and
The Mandalorian s season finale that dropped on Friday ended with text on screen reading, The Book of Boba Fett. Coming December 2021. But since Disney hadn t announced a Boba Fett show by that name, and the finale was fairly conclusive, fans weren t sure if this was meant to tease a new Boba Fett spinoff or indicate that Boba will be taking center stage in
Putin critic Navalny reportedly tricks Russian agent into revealing how he was poisoned
December 21, 2020
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has reportedly uncovered details of his own poisoning by successfully duping a Russian agent into revealing them.
Navalny, a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is recovering after being poisoned in August. On Monday, CNN reported that an agent from the toxins team at Russia s FSB security service made the stunning disclosure that Navalny was poisoned through a nerve agent planted in his underwear.
The way the revelation came about was just as stunning: evidently in a 45-minute phone call in which the agent, who was tasked with trailing Navalny, thought he was speaking with an official from Russia s National Security Council â but in reality, he was speaking with none other than Navalny himself. Navalny disguised his phone number so it looked like that of Russia s FSB headquarters to dupe the agent, Konstantin Ku